Kingdom Of Shadows
by Bebi Shiny Absol
Summary: Daemundari and her Lucario friend Sae set out to make things right in a brand new kingdom.


_**Kingdom Of Shadows Chapter 1**_

_**POV: Daemundari the Princess**_

I hurried over to my father, King Darren the 2th. He smiled down at me as he motioned for the guards to step aside so I could see my Pokemon box. When a child of royal blood reaches age 14, Arceus chooses a special Pokemon partner for them. I place a hand on the box, feeling its smooth texture as I think of what Pokemon could be inside the box. Queen Nkechi, my mother, strides up to me to adjust my crown. It's tipping off to the left side of my head, ever so slightly.

"Princess Daemundari has reached the age of 14, which means Arceus will choose a special Pokemon for her as a gift to celebrate this wonderful moment." My father announces as he stands up from his royal throne. With a wave of his hand, he calls our Royal Lucario Battalion leader, Sae the Lucario to come over and open the box. I prance around with anticipation as I wait to see the Pokemon inside. It could be a Fennekin, an Espurr, a Munna, or even a Legendary! Or perhaps… a Shiny Pokemon! Sae opens the box, and the Pokemon I've been chosen to receive, is not what I thought it would be at all. It strides out of the box, its head held high, and its white fur glistening. The curved, scythe shaped horn that rests upon its head looks very majestic, and seems to shine just a little bit. I can hear gasps ripple throughout the crowd as tension builds up. Sae growls and forms a small Aura Sphere in his paws. The royal guards point their spears at it, and my mother's face is pale.

"Arceus… has chosen the Dark… Disaster Pokemon… A-Absol…" The king shakily announces. He then faints, which makes the crown scream and begin to flee in all different directions. Sae and his Lucario Battalion charge at the Absol. I scream, begging for the Lucarios to stop. Maybe it wasn't a bad Absol. Maybe we've misjudged them our whole lives. Maybe Absols don't bring disaster, they just try to warn us sooner but happen to appear with the disaster right on their tail! Sae slams himself into the Absol, knocking it to the ground.

"SAE! Stop it, please! Let it live! We've misjudged Absols our entire lives, they're good!" I send the plea telepathically to Sae's head, and as confirmation of receiving my message, he tries to stop his warriors by shooting Aura Spheres back at them. A maiden grabs my hand and begins to pull me towards the castle gates. I resist as best as I can, tugging and pulling with all my might.

"Princess, I must get you out of here! Absol is dangerous, you must flee, now!" The maid says, continuing to pull me. I see a flash of blue light as the castle walls explode, crumbling to pieces and flying everywhere. Something tackles me to the ground and shoves my face down.

"Do not panic, Princess. I'll protect you." Sae's voice enters my head, sending waves of calmness throughout my body. I suddenly feel dizzy, and I faint.

_**POV Change: Sae the Lucario**_

"_Princess, wake up."_ I prod her with a paw, trying to wake her up and gently as possible.

"Mmhhh…" She groans, rolling over. The Stantler who agreed to be Daemundari's mode of transport steps up to her, bending down to lick her face. Daemundari lets out a somewhat adorable squeal of protest and sits up, rubbing her cheek. I let out a chuckling noise, winking at the Stantler.

"Sae, why'd you lick me? UGH!" Daemundari continues wiping the slobber off her cheek as she glares up at me. I laugh some more, and the Stantler makes a noise that sounds like a cross between a smirk and a grunt. Daemundari screeches as she sees the Stantler standing beside me. I clear my throat, and gesture toward the Stantler, who takes a very elegant bow. _"Princess Daemundari, this is Lena the Stantler. She will be your mode of transport from now on."_ I announce telepathically. Lena paws the ground beside me with her hooves, taking a step back. Daemundari stands up and gives me the scariest glare I've ever seen. It makes my fur stand on end.

"SAE, I CAN WALK! I'M NOT HELPLESS, SO SEND HER AWAY!" Daemundari shouts. I lower my ears. Lena snorts, emitting a small stream of smoke billow from her nostrils.

"Stantler, Stant STAN STANTLEEEER!" Lena grumbles, turning her head away from both of us. I sigh, and translate Lena's message so Daemundari can understand it.

"_Lena says, 'Princess, I'm sorry but I'M HELPING YOU NO MATTER WHAT.' She wants to help you because you are royalty, and should be treated as such."_ I remark telepathically. Daemundari snarls and stalks off into the forest. I look at Lena and shrug, then we proceed to follow her. After about an hour of walking, Daemundari stops and sits on a log, beginning to cry. I sit down next to her and rub her back soothingly.

"I feel bad for that Absol. We have to save him. Please, Sae, we have to go back for it!" Daemundari weeps as she begs. I sigh and consider the consequences of me going back to the kingdom, where I was exiled and told never to come back or I was to be hung. "Please Sae… I'm begging you to go with me to go back and save that Absol. It doesn't deserve the cruel fate it will soon meet." Daemundari grasps my paws tightly and squeezes them, her fingers beginning to bleed as she presses down on my spikes. I pull my hands away and growl at her.

"_I was exiled! You think I'd go back and risk being hung for the sake of one Pokemon? Forget about it!"_ I snarl as I turn tail and stalk off into the forest. Lena balks at me, but I ignore her.

"Sae! Please wait for me! AAH!" I whirl around, an Aura Sphere ready to fire as I hear Daemundari's sudden scream. I charge through the forest back the way I had come, and find Daemundari standing over the body of the Disaster Pokemon itself.

_**POV Change: Unknown Pokémon**_

Everything aches. My head especially, from when that Lucario blasted me aside with an Aura Sphere. All I wanted was to greet my new trainer in peace, but nope, there had to be a fight. My ears register a scream, and rustling of foliage around me, snapping me to my senses. The scream is feminine, and I smell the scent of a Lucario. Could it be the trainer I was supposed to be with, and could that Lucario be the one who Aura Sphered my head? Only one way to find out. I slowly open my eyes and leave my train of thought behind. All feelings, whatever they were are gone as I see a bright blue ball of light in front of my face. I glance slowly to my right and see the very same trainer I saw back at the castle. My new trainer.

"Get up. Now!" The Lucario snaps at me. I roll over onto my feet, and try to stand up. I fall back down again, being too weak from being beaten to stand, or really do much of anything.

"I can't. You hurt me too much, I can hardly even roll over." I snarl at the Lucario. A disheveled grin appears on its face as it shoots an Aura Sphere in between my legs, which were spread wide open. I yelp in shock as dirt plasters my face. Thank Arceus I wasn't hit with that. I don't think I would've survived if that Aura Sphere hit me.

"So you're that same Absol who my warriors were shooting at back at the castle, eh? Explain how you escaped the castle. You're supposed to be DEAD." The Lucario spat. "Did you kill off my warriors somehow? Did someone help you escape? Did someone aid you in fighting against my noble warriors? SPEAK ABSOL, TELL ME HOW YOU ESCAPED!" The Lucario thundered. His loud voice makes me wince, but I regain my Absol pride quickly and let out a chuckle. One filled with pain and a burning desire to kill this Lucario.

"I escaped, but barely. They threw me out after I was 'finished off', so to speak. I woke up and I was bound with ropes and tied to a stake. A Charmander had lit a fuse that led right to my horn. I was so lucky that a Furret just so happened to appear and put the fire out and cut the rope so I could escape." I explain as fast as I can in under one breath, then I gasp for air and fill my lungs with fresh air again.

"Sae… is it that one Absol who was destined to be my first Pokemon?" The girl says as she steps forward and bends down to look at me. The Lucario, who I presume must be Sae, nods and grunts.

"It is, my princess. What are your orders for me? What shall I do with this Absol?" Sae asks as he takes a bow and glares at me. I flash him a grin before I look at the young girl in front of me. She looks about 14, with long black hair and a few leaves in her hair, presumably from running around through the forest. A beautiful face with perfect white teeth is what I pay attention to the most. Large, luminous blue eyes with soft pink lips, she's straight out of a fairytale! Ohh, how I desperately wish she was an Absol. She'd be the most beautiful Absol by far, oh, how the male Absols would swoon over her! The Princess runs a hand through my mane of white fur, looking me over with a critical eye.

"He needs medical attention. And because I refuse to own a Pokemon without a name, your name will be Stephan." The Princess announces as she helps me to my paws. I grunt as I lean on her for support, my legs are very weak. Sae grumbles under his breath as he trudges off into the undergrowth to find some berries for me to eat. I take this chance to try my introduction again. So, with a bit of hesitation, I stretch out my neck, reaching towards her hand. The girl jerks away, then thinks better of it and moves it a little closer to my nose. My nose touches her hand, and I feel vibrations run up and down my spine, and adrenaline rush through my veins. The girl lets out a timid, shaky breath as she tries to keep her hand by my nose. I wonder if it's too cold for her. It shouldn't be.

"T-the bond is complete." She says as she extends her arms for a hug. Now, because Absols are very prideful and a bit stubborn, I wouldn't accept the hug. But just this once, I press myself to her stomach and let her hug my neck. I'm the first to pull away, and the girl stares at me with wonder in her blue eyes. Sae comes back with an armful of Oran berries and chucks them at me. I wince as some of them bounce off my sore legs. They feel like small stones upon impact.

"Sae! Stop it! Be nice about it!" The girl orders, glaring at Sae. Sae grumbles under his breath again as he sets the remaining berries by my feet. I glance up at him and give him a fake smile. Sae returns the smile, only it shows how much he hates me.

"Yes, Princess." Sae says that in the human language this time. All this time, he could speak like a trainer?! The Princess is just as shocked as I am, and she nearly falls over in surprise. Luckily, she fell on me. But because I was so weak, I collapsed. Oh well, she at least has a soft cushion. Sae smirks at me as he helps the Princess up. As the girl dusts herself off, Sae pulls back a hind leg and kicks dirt in my face. I splutter and cough, shaking my fur out.

"You've going to ruin my white fur!" I protest.

"Shut up." Sae's voice booms in my head, making me wince. I rub the sides of my head, trying to ease myself of the upcoming headache that I felt coming. Ugh, Lucarios are so rude. I bent down to eat my berries, but stop before I can get one into my mouth as my horn starts tingling. A disaster is coming.

_**POV Change: Daemundari the Princess**_

Sae and Stephan need to stop fighting before we move on. As I glance at the Absol, I notice he's rubbing his head for a moment, then he stops and tries to stand up. His red eyes are wide open as he glances around after falling down. I bend down in front of him.

"Stephan, what's wrong?" I ask softly. Stephan paws at my red dress and prods me with his scythe shaped horn. I have no idea what he's trying to tell me, but it must be urgent, because he's beginning to claw me. I look over at Sae.

"Sae, what's wrong with Stephan?" I ask him. Sae rolls his eyes and walks up to me. He holds Stephan's head in his paws and stares into his eyes. Sae's dark blue eyes hold a fiery anger within them, while Stephan's red eyes are full of fear.

"What is it, Absol?" Sae demands.

"Absol Ab Sol!" Stephan says. For a moment, I wonder why I can't understand Stephan. Then I remember that Pokemon don't speak English like Lucarios apparently can. Thanks to Sae, I now know that Lucarios can speak English. Sae stands abruptly, cutting off my train of thought.

"There's a disaster coming. We must move, now." Sae says gravely. I stare at him in shock. I hear hooves on grass, and I remember that Lena the Stantler is still here. I snap my fingers at her, and she bends down obediently. Sae reluctantly picks up Stephan in his arms and looks at me. As Lena stands up, thunder booms overhead and lightning strikes a tree in front of us. I scream in fear and fall off Lena's back. Sae sets Stephan on the ground and rushes over to me.

"Are you alright, Princess?" He asks worriedly. I nod numbly as Sae sets me on Lena's back again.

"Sae… please, stop calling me Princess. I'm no longer a princess, so you can just call me Daemundari." I tell him. Sae's eyes widen briefly before all traces of emotion disappear as he picks up Stephan again. I dig my heels into Lena's sides to make her go forward, and Sae follows me.

"Let's try to find a cave!" I shout over the pounding of Lena's hooves and the sound of Sae crashing through the foliage behind me as he rushes to catch up. Sae appears beside me and he nods, suddenly taking the lead. Lightning strikes the ground in front of us, making Lena rear up and buck me off. I fly backwards, letting out a strangled cry as I land on my back. Lena gallops over to me, but Sae keeps running.

"SAE!" I yell. Rain has started to fall in thick sheets, making it almost impossible to see. "SAAAE!" I yell one last time, as loud as I could. Lena shakes some water off her coat as she bends down again.

"Lena, please go find Sae." I order her. Lena shakes her head ferociously in protest, making me angry.

"JUST GO!" I snap, making the Stantler recoil in shock. "I'll be fine, just go find him. Please…" I feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness. My vision grows hazy. I realize that Lena is the cause of my sudden drowsiness. I find myself staring straight into the dark, black balls on the sides of her antlers. Stantler are one of the 2 Pokemon who can create illusions and make you feel dizzy. The other, being Zoroark and its pre evolution, Zorua. I utter a curse before my vision fades completely, leaving me in a world of black.

As I wake up, I find myself in a warm cabin with multiple Zangoose surrounding me. A trainer lumbers over to me, and looks down at me with a malicious grin on his face.

"I see you've woken up. Hand over all your Pokemon and you'll leave without being hurt."

_**POV Change: Sae the Lucario**_

I've been running for about half an hour now without stopping. It's hard to see as the sheets of rain fall mercilessly down upon me and the ground. I slip and slide in patches of mud as I hurry along. Stephan has fallen asleep in my arms, but I don't really care. I need to fulfill the Princess- well, Daemundari's orders. It's only now that I realize I don't hear the sound of hooves behind me, and I stop. Lena and Daemundari are no longer behind me. Did something happen? I grow worried at the thought of Daemundari's body, bent and broken and gory. The though makes me shudder. My shuddering is enough to wake Stephan up, and he stretches, apparently forgetting that my arms can't stretch far enough for him to stretch properly. I drop him in the mud as soon as he stretches his hind legs out, making him wail in protest.

"I'M ALL DIRTY NOW!" He yells, glaring up at me. His eyes are scarier than they've ever been before, and I actually hold his gaze for a few seconds before I look away.

"Well I'm sorry you're destined to be as white as snow, but we have bigger problems than a dirty, muddy Absol!" I snap. That shuts him up. As he opens his mouth to reply, the ground trembles.

"Um…" Stephan glances at the thick forest ahead. I glance at him, worry replacing my angry expression.

"What is it?" I peer into the trees, trying to see what the disaster could be. Stephan responds by leaping up at me, and I catch him. The sudden weight makes me groan as I try to hold him as best as I can.

"TIDAL WAVE!" Stephan yells as he digs his claws into my fur. I freeze, penalized by fear. The monstrous wave bears down on us, sweeping us off. I don't know when, but I lose Stephan somewhere. I scream every time I resurface from being forced underwater.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" I howl as my head goes underwater again for the umpteenth time. As I resurface, I begin to look for Stephan, knowing Daemundari would have my head if I came back without that disaster riddled Absol. Something sharp pokes my rear end, and I yelp in pain, lashing out at it with the spikes on the backs of my front paws. Shock hits me as a wave slaps against my face, and I realize I may have hit Stephan. I grab the shape, and feel wet fur. Gasping, I pull him up with all my might, and am rewarded for my effort. Out of the water emerges a familiar white furry head with a scythe shaped horn. Stephan is unconscious and bleeding, which makes me feel bad. Wrapping an arm around his neck, I begin to paddle and manage to keep us both afloat for at least an hour before my strength is nearly out. I know that if another wave hits me, I may not make it. But I still have to keep Stephan safe.

"It's a Lucario! Over here, pull it out!" I hear voices shout nearby, and I smile weakly, grateful that help has finally come. A white shape with a red M like marking on its body. A Zangoose? Long claws force their way under my arms, lifting me up out of the water. I desperately try to reach for Stephan, who has slipped out of my arms and is floating away.

"No! I can't leave without that Absol!" I protest. The Zangoose drops me and dives into the water, swimming toward Stephan. I feel bile rise up in my throat, and I throw up everything I have in my stomach, which is mostly just water.

"Hang on guys, we've got an unconscious Absol here too!" The Zangoose calls as he tosses Stephan at me. I catch him gratefully, actually hugging him. Someone taps me on the shoulder, and I see a man staring down at me. I set Stephan on the ground, and stand up. I detect his aura, and something about it seems off. Like he's a bad guy. I trace his aura, and find out that he is evil to his very core. I have to get out of here.

"Hand over the Absol and you won't get hurt."

_**POV Change: Stephan the Absol**_

My eyes flutter open to reveal the most bizarre scene ever. Sae is fighting with a man and a whole pack of Zangoose. I fire a Razor Wind at the man, sending him tumbling away. I stagger to my paws, stumbling over to Sae and leaning against his side.

"What's going on here?" I ask casually. My head is throbbing for some reason, but I manage to shake it off. One of the Zangoose steps forward and glares at me.

"You are wanted by our master. Surrender now, or you'll die trying." It says with a malicious grin. I glance up at Sae, who has 2 Aura Spheres fully charged and ready to fire. I smirk at the Zangoose and charge at it, biting its ear. It howls in pain, and I smirk with satisfaction. I rip off some fur as I pull away so Sae can throw his Aura Spheres. They hit the Zangoose's chest, sending it flying backward. I spit out the mouthful of white fur, and Quick Attack the next Zangoose that steps forward. It takes the attack by surprise, and stumbles backward. Sae leaps over me, flipping his paws over to reveal the sharp, grey spikes on the top. Without hesitation he rams them into both sides of the Zangoose's head. I smile, recognizing the move as Metal Claw. The Zangoose collapses to the ground, and another one takes its place.

"You die now. You interfere, you are dead Pokemon." It says as it leaps into the air. It does a flip, and comes down toward me. I leap up to meet it, blocking its claws with my horn and thrusting it away from me. It slides to the ground, where it receives an Aura Sphere to the face. I land on the ground, coughing from the dust the Aura Sphere had disturbed. The dust clears to reveal the Zangoose charging at me. Too late, it hits me before I can block. I go flying backward, tumbling about in the dirt. I stand up with a groan, only to be thrown backwards again by that same Zangoose who charged at me. It waves at me, snickering.

"STEPHAAAN!" Sae yells as I slam into him. We roll together, finally coming to a stop at that mysterious man's feet. He's holding a net. I try to roll out of the way in time, but Sae pins me firmly to the ground.

"I'm not going ANYWHERE without you." Sae snarls. I gulp, shuddering a little. We let the man throw the net on us, and his Zangoose army drags us into a log cabin. I yell and scream and kick the whole way, trying to break free. While I was kicking, I kicked Sae in the face. My reward was to get Aura Sphered to the face. Twice.

"You're evil, you know that?" I remark as I rub my bruised face. Sae's ears twitch, and he seems to zone out. I wave a paw in front of his face. "Um, Earth to Sae? You in there?" He doesn't respond. He holds up a paw.

"Shh, do you hear that?" He whispers. I shake my head and strain my ears, listening to the sounds around me. I hear the Zangoose snickering as they walk off into another room, the man shutting a door behind him, and muffled crying. Muffled crying? Who could be crying at a time like- Oh no… It hits me as if Sae shot an Aura Sphere at my chest. Daemundari is here too. And we've got to find her.

"It's Daemundari, isn't it?" I whisper gravely, looking back at Sae. He nods slowly, shoving my behind to the side so he can stand by me.

"LET US OUT OF HERE!" Sae howls. The man returns, holding a big, white bag. He tosses it toward us, then snaps his fingers at a few Zangoose nearby.

"Let them out, but watch them." The man orders. He laughs over his shoulder as he walks back into the room he came from. One Zangoose tears open the net, and Sae pushes me out as he hurries to the bag. It's the source of the muffled crying. I scramble to my paws and follow him. Sae elbows me in the face as I lift a paw to rip a hole in the bag.

"Stay back, Absol. She'll screech if she sees you looking like that." Sae sneers as he opens the bag. What does he mean? I remember being dropped in the mud right before the tidal wave hit. Groaning, I sit down with a thump and begin grooming myself hastily.

"DAEMUNDARI!" Sae actually begins to cry as he sees Daemundari. I stop grooming myself to look over my shoulder. Daemundari is blindfolded and gagged. The sight makes me angry. I trot over to her, shoving Sae out of the way before he can even take her blindfold off. He glares at me from where he lay, but I pay no attention to him. I proceed to take her blindfold off, then sink 2 claws into the rag that was placed in her mouth, and yank it out.

"S-S-Stephan!" She stutters over her words, taking big, deep breaths in the process. I hope she's glad to see me, even if I'm dirty. Sure enough, she jumps on me and gives me the tightest hug I've ever had. Well, I've never gotten many hugs before, but this one felt pretty tight. Daemundari begins sobbing, burying her face in my mud caked fur. Sae appears beside me, kneeling down and stroking her head gently.

"I can soothe her aura, so let me take over." Sae whispers. I shake my head.

"No way am I letting you comfort her without me! She's crying into MY fur, AND Arceus chose me to be her Pokemon. So it's only fair that we BOTH get to soothe her." I protest softly, not wanting to worry her. Sae mutters something unintelligible and continues to stroke her forehead, and I continue to stand there as Daemundari cries.

_**POV Change: Daemundari**_

I'm grateful that Sae and Stephan worked things out and came back for me, but I'm still terrified of that man and his Zangoose army. Stephan, as mud caked as he is, I still cry on his fur. Soothing waves of calmness flood my thoughts, and I stop crying. Sae's behind this, I know it. Lucarios can calm your aura so you can focus better. I stifle a sniff as I pull away from Stephan. The Lucario and Absol look at me expectantly. I give them a small smile and pull both of them into a hug. Stephan tries to squirm his way out, but a few words from Sae make him stop.

"I'm glad you two came back for me." I whisper. Sae places his paws on my shoulder, and I look up into his dark blue eyes. Those mysterious eyes. Holding curiosity, but bravery too. His intelligence sparkles within them.

"You're welcome." Sae smiles. I haven't seen him smile for a long time, not since he came to our kingdom as a Riolu. I was still in my mother's womb, but she told me tales of the young Riolu known as Sae, whose trainer had to leave him and a Noibat, Janika as he was escorted to jail. Sae's never told anyone why his trainer went to jail. Sae and Janika were given the task of protecting 2 baby Absols, and a baby Shiny Eevee. Nobody in the kingdom knows the names of the infant Pokemon, but Sae probably does. I don't pester him about it, but I may in the mere future. I turn to Stephan, who is busily cleaning the mud out of his fur. Tapping his shoulder, I turn him toward me. It takes quite an effort, considering the fact that Absols weigh more than 100 pounds, but I manage.

"Stephan." I say. Stephan turns his head away from me. I narrow my eyes and turn his face toward me, holding it in place. His eyes flash with anger, and a low growl rumbles in his throat.

"What?" He snaps. I flinch, and his gaze softens ever so slightly. "Sorry for snapping at you." He apologizes. A weak smile appears on my lips.

"No big deal." I wave his apology away, and give him a hug. Stephan is the first to pull away, and he stands up.

"Well, we're all reunited, right? Shall we escape?" Stephan asks, smiling at me. That smile of his. It holds curiosity and adventure. I wonder if I love him… but how can this be? Humans and Pokemon can't love each other like this! Unless… he becomes human… Sae taps my shoulder, cutting off my train of thought.

"You alright?" He asks me. I nod. The Zangoose group comes over to us, that mysterious man following them. The man glares down at us. He points at Sae and Stephan.

"Put them back in their Pokeballs." He orders. I glare up at him, shaking my head.

"You can't tell me what to do!" I snap. Sae's eyelids raise in warning, and Stephan crouches lower to the ground. 2 Zangoose grab my arms and haul me away, kicking and screaming. A fight breaks out, and I see Stephan thrown backwards. Sae is thrown after him shortly after.

"SAE! STEPHAN! NO!" I wail. The door closes, and the Zangoose throw me against something cold. I'm on a metal bed. The door opens just as my hands and legs are strapped to the bed, and the man enters and strolls toward me. Tears stream down my face, and I sob quietly. The man picks up a syringe with clear fluid in it.

"What is that?" I ask, sniffling. The man doesn't answer, but I feel the needle stab my neck before I pass out.

_**POV Change: Sae the Lucario**_

Stephan… Daemundari… Lena… WHERE IS EVERYONE?!" My thoughts whirl around in my head, and I am unable to grasp at them. Someone groans on my right side, and I see Stephan laying on the ground, unconscious. He has a muzzle over his jaw, holding it shut. I try and open my mouth, but I find that I have one on me too. Stephan also has a metal collar around his neck, holding him back in case he wanted to attack someone, they could get to a safe distance so they couldn't get ripped apart by his vicious teeth.

"_Rats… how are we going to get out of this one?_"I think. I look over at Stephan, who is now twitching furiously. _"Stephan!"_ I worm my way into his thoughts, and find a fierce force trying to push me out. I fight back with everything I've got, and the pressure subsides gradually.

"_Who has entered my thoughts?"_ A voice booms. I wince, but I don't withdraw my conscience from him.

"_It's Sae."_ I reply as calm as I can. An image of Daemundari smiling at both of us enters my head.

"_Where is she?"_ Stephan asks as the image disappears.

"_I have no clue. I heard a door shut, and the sounds of a scuffle, but I don't know where she is." _I say. I see an image of Stephan roaring as he attacked a Zangoose, and then one of me sending an Aura Sphere at that evil man's face. _"We need a plan, moron…"_ I say, almost too casually. I add a hint of sarcasm just so he gets the message.

"_You're right, I apologize for acting without thinking." _Stephan's voice sounds defeated. Before I can reply, the door opens, and the man enters.

"Hello, Absol and Lucario. I have your friend. She's dead now." The man says, letting out a long, evil laugh. I leap forward, only to be held back by a chain. Stephan lets out a muffled roar. I search for aura, and find mine, Stephan's, the man's, and… Daemundari's. She's still alive! He's lying! I send my conscience back into Stephan's mind, entering more carefully this time.

"_He's lying. Act defeated, but know she's still alive. He's trying to get us angry, but stay calm."_ After saying that, I withdraw my conscience from him and focus on the man. Brown hair, green eyes and a sturdy build. About 5'8, pure evil, and loves Zangoose. I make a mental image of him and shove it to the back of my brain so I can always remember it. Stephan looks over to me and nods, his eyes holding a trace of fear. I turn my head away, staring at the ground and acting defeated.

"I'm so sorry to tell you that you cannot continue your journey without her. But you must, and I shall make you." The man says. I swiftly send my conscience into Stephan's head.

"_As soon as the chains are off, you attack the man. I'll go after Daemundari. We'll take this guy hostage, and I'll get us out of here with a few Aura Spheres." _I reveal my escape plan to him. This man was dumb, in a way. But all villains tend to be stupid at one time or another when making a plan and acting upon it.

"_Alright. I can't believe how dumb this guy is! I mean, he's just gonna let us go like that? No guards or anything? What a moron!"_ Stephan's conscience says, and I hear his laugh inside my head. The man walks up to me first, and unlocks the metal clasps holding my front paws. I fall forward, catching myself on my elbows. My back paws are bent in such a painful way, I'm biting my lip to try not to scream in agony. Soon, the man releases my hind legs, and I fall. As I stand up, I take off the muzzle and throw it at the man. He easily catches it.

"My, what a temper you have." He remarks. His fist collides with my jaw, sending me backwards. I see stars for a bit, then my vision returns back to normal. I watch as he frees Stephan, who viciously tears his muzzle off and rips it to shreds. He glares up at the man, and lets out an angry roar.

"YOU DARE CHAIN US UP LIKE THIS?!" He roars. The man doesn't flinch, nor does he move. Both me and Stephan grasp our heads and wail at the same time, because the man's voice booms inside our heads. How'd he get past my mind barriers without me even knowing?

"SILENCE!" The voice says again. I rub my head and moan, curling up in a ball on the floor.

"Change of plans. Absol, you are free to go. Lucario, I will keep you until you are... tamed, so to speak." The man announces. I stand up shakily, and Stephan slips over to my side so I can lean on him for a little bit of support.

"You can't… keep me… here forever! Daemundari needs m-me!" I say in between grunts. The man laughs, the sound of his laughter filling the room.

"I told you, she's dead." The man says. I almost cry out, then remember that he's lying. I found her aura, which means she's still alive. I search for it now, and find another unknown presence. It's near Daemundari.

"_Daemundari may be in trouble. We have to find a way to get to her, NOW."_ My conscious says in Stephan's head. He looks at me, worry replacing the determination in his red eyes. I throw myself at the man, knocking him to the ground. We wrestle each other, his fist colliding with my face over and over. Stephan ends the fight with a sharp nip at the man's fingers.

"OW!" The man yells. I jump off the man and run into another room, Stephan close behind.

"HALT IN THE NAME OF PRINCESS DAEMUNDARI!" A voice shouts above. It sounds like a male, a teenager to be exact. I skid to a halt as a Donphan comes out of nowhere, and Stephan crashes into me. We fall on the floor, Stephan on top of me. A Flareon jumps on top of the Donphan, glaring down at us with its fluffy orange tail lit up. A boy steps out of the darkness with Daemundari at his side. The lights go out in the room, and the only source of light was the Flareon's tail.

"Friend or foe?" The boy asks.

_**End of Chapter 1**_


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